Lithography techniques have been used as a core technology in semiconductor device processes, and with recent advancement in highly integrated semiconductor integrated circuits (IC), exceedingly finer wiring patterns have been formed. Method of miniaturization are generally: use of a light source of shorter wavelength, such as shortening wavelength of light source using, for example, a KrF excimer laser, an ArF excimer laser, an F2 laser, an EUV (extreme ultraviolet) light, an EB (electron beam), or an X-ray; increasing numerical aperture (NA) of a lens of an exposure apparatus (increased NA); and the like. However, the shortening of wavelength of the light sources requires a new expensive exposure apparatus.
Under such circumstances, nanoimprint lithography using a negative resist composition (hereinafter also referred to as photo-nanoimprint lithography) was proposed (see Non-Patent Document 1). In this process, a light transmissive mold having a light-resistant portion in part is pressed against a resist layer formed by using a negative resist composition; subsequently, ultra-violet light is irradiated to cure the resin, and the mold is detached therefrom, thereby obtaining a pattern. The aforementioned photo-nanoimprint lithography allows for formation of a fine resist pattern without requiring an expensive device. This can also eliminate the problem of conventional nanoimprint lithography, in that resist film remains as a residue on a portion against which a convex portion of a mold has been pressed.
Non-Patent Document 1: Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 5374, p. 337-347 (2004)